McDonald's in South Korea to start selling beer

A McDonald's in Seongnam, a satellite city of Seoul, South Korea will begin serving beer.

All day breakfast, check. High end burgers, check. Beer? Check.

A McDonald’s franchise in South Korea is set to begin selling brews in what they hope will help boost sales and lure in a younger clientele. (The legal drinking age in South Korea is 19.)

Already a staple in France and Germany, the company said on Sunday that a restaurant in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province --outside of Seoul --will serve premium hamburgers and draft beer, according to Pulse. If successful, it plans to open similar stores in Gangnam and Sinchon, areas popular with young people in Seoul.

The move comes as the number of teenage customers visiting the Golden Arches has sharply dropped in the country.

So the obviously question is could we see beer at McDonald’s in the U.S.? American franchisees have rolled an almost mind-blogging number of menu innovations over the past two years. But its most recent success, the all-day breakfast, has been a major factor in jump starting flagging sales.

While there are no McDonald’s restaurants that currently serve alcohol in the U.S., many have argued that adding craft beer to the menu from local brews would score some serious points with customers. Select locations of several of its competitors already serve alcohol, including Burger King Whopper Bar, Taco Bell, Sonic and Chipotle.

One impediment faced by McDonald’s is that the minimum drinking age is 21, and since many of the staff are under that age, getting licensed to serve alcohol is more complex. Some jurisdictions allow 18 year olds to serve, but not drink, some forms of alcohol.

Burgers and beer are a classic combo, but for now you'll have to head to Europe or Asia to get a brew with your Big Mac.